Grinding apparatus



'April-2., 194s. C.' ARMBRUST 2,397,459

GRINDING APPAATUS u Fild Deo. 16, 1943. 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 /sto/U/ze r J'. Armbrust April 2, 1946. c3.y J. ARMBRUST 2,397,459'

GRINDING APPARATUS Filed Dec. .16, 1943 7 4 sheetslsheet 2 y -ZNT/g I r/.st/biz-erJ Armbrust April A2, 1.946.

C. J. ARMBRUST GRINDING APPARATUS 4 She'ets'fSheet 3 Filed Dec. 16, 1943 i NMi/v 7 Christopher' J/lr/zbrasz Patented Apr. 2, 1946 2,397,459 GRINDING APPARATUS Christopher J. Armbrust, Winfield, Ill., assignor to National Pectin Products Company, Cicero, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 16, 1943, 4Serial No. `514,449

9 Claims. l (Cl. 51--108) The present invention relates to a method of and means for automatically shaping work pieces by a grinding operation. More particularly, the invention is concerned with a method of and apparatus for automatically feeding a plurality of work pieces to a rotating abrasive means for shaping said work pieces to a predetermined pattern.

The method and apparatus of the present invention are particularly advantageously adapted to use in such operations as the forming of large quantities of holders or sticks all of which are to have a substantially uniform shape for assembly into cartons for employment in serving confections or the like. In assembling a confection carton, a holder having a pointed or substantially cone-shaped end portion is desired. To produce large quantities of such cartons according to modern production methods economically, it is advantageous to devise a method and apparatus which will provide uniformly shaped holders or sticks so that any one of those produced will be exactly interchangeable in the assembling opera tion.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method of and apparatus for producing according to a grinding operation large numbers of uniformly shaped work pieces.

Itis a further object of the present invention to provide a method of and means for automatically feeding the work pieces to be conformed to a given pattern to a grinding means.

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel method of positioning a plurality of work pieces in uniformly spaced relation to each other so as to'be subjected to a grinding operation to render the work pieces which will conform to a desired uniform shape.

It is a further object of theinvention to provide apparatus for accomplishing the aforementioned result and which will in addition rotate the work piece while it is in contact with the abrasive surface so as to render it completely uniform as to its shape and conforming the same to a given pattern.

Other features and objects of the present invention will become apparent as the detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the inveniton proceeds.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation of one form of apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention; y v t Figure 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus in Figure 1 with parts broken away for the sake of clearness;

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross section taken through the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings as seen from the line III-III there- 1n;

Figure 4 is a vertical .cross section taken along the line IV-IV in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical cross section through the apparatus shown in Figure 3 of the drawings and taken along the line V--V therein; and A Figure 6 is an end elevation of the driving means for the apparatus illustrated in Figures l to 3, inclusive, and as seen generally from the line VI-VI in Figure 3.

As shown on the drawings:

The automatic grinding machine which' embodies the principles of the present invention is indicated generally by the reference character I0 in Figures l and 2 of the drawings. The apparatus comprises a platform or base Il on which is mounted a bin or hopperI2 adjacent to which is disposed a feeding means I3. Associated with the feeding means I3 is an abrasive means which may take the form ofA a grinding unit IL The hopper i2 is adapted to receive a plurality of work pieces whichv are to be successively introduced by the feeding means to the grinding unit III.l

The hopper I2 is advantageously formed of at least two parallelrsubstantially vertical Walls I 7 and IS. The walls II and I8 are preferably spaced apart a distance substantially equal to a dimension of the Work piece when it is disposed in the relation in which it is to be presented to the feeding means I3 for the accomplishment of the grinding operation so as to prevent such pieces from becoming jammed. One end of the hopper I2 is closed by a substantially vertical partition made up of an Lipper wall portion I9 and a lower wall portion 2G betweenA the lower and upper ends, respectively, of which is disposed the feeding means I3. The other end of the hopper I2 is at least partially closed 'by a short tiltable wall portion 2! the lowermost end of which is disposed adjacent the feeding means I3 and secured .in any suitable fashion to a pivotal mounting means which may take the form of a substantially horizontally extending tube 22 disposed about one of the bolts 35 which with spacers I5 `serve to support and space th'e vertical walls I'I and I8.

The tiltable wall 2| is disposed in inclined relation between the vertical walls I'I and I8 as by means of a horizontally disposed removable pin' 23 inserted in apertures in saidwalls.; The wall 2| is provided with a hinged extension 24 secured toA said wall adjacent its free end in such fashion that when the wall 2| is tilted downwardly on the removal of pin 23 as indicated by the dotted line position in Figure 2, the extension 24 will support the same from the base 25, of the hopper I2 and iwill serve to retain the supply of work pieces supported by the wall 2| in the hopper I2 Whenever it is desired to have access to the feeding The above described arrangement parts in therinterior of the apparatus.

It will ybe understood from an inspection of Figure 4 of the drawings that the hopper I2 is adapted to'accommodate within walls I1 and I8,

the upper wall portion I9 and the tiltable wall 2| the work pieces which, in this case, are illustrated as being a .plurality of generally cylindrical pieces or sticks 21V of a length substantially equal to the spacing between the walls I1 and I8. The hopper I2, therefore, forms a substantially open-ended funnel member for supplying the sticks 21 tothe feeding means I3. The

sticks21, after they have been subjected to the abrasive means I4 by the feeding means I3, are depositedV in the'receptacle 23 and are thereafter ready for use inY whatever manner they are intendedto be employed. f

Turningl our attention now Vto the feeding means I3 in particular, we find that. it includes a drum 29 which is secured adjacent the free end of a cantilever shaft 39. The shaft 39 is rotatably supported in a vertically extending bearing bracket 3| secured in any suitable fashion to the frameV I I and a bearing 32 mounted as by means of a plurality of bolts 33 threaded into substan- 'tiallyY circular casting 34 secured to the wall I1 as by means of the bolts 35 which extend through walls I1 and I8. The drum 29 is fastened to the shaft 39 for rotation therewith as by' means of a key v(not shown) which registers with a keyway 3K9 'and aA set screw 31 threaded into the drum 29 at, the baseof a bore 38 formed in one of a, plu- Y rality of ,annular grooves 39 spaced about the periphery ofthe drum 29. The end of the drum 29 -adjacentthe free end of the shaft 39 on which the. drum is mounted is provided with a concave face 39. v.The periphery of the drum 29 also has a plurality of uniformly spaced axially 'extending grooves 49 formed thereon to receive thersticks 21 from the feeding means I3 as the drumV 2.9 is Vrotated by the shaft 30 past the open end of said feeding means.

The rotation of the'shaft 39 for driving the L drum 29'may be accomplished by any suitable power source such, for example, as the motor 4I,v

the sprocket wheel 42 of which actuates the sprocket 43 secured to the shaft 30-by means of the chain 44. The drum 29 is rotated in the direction indicated To aidrinlthe distribution of the sucks 21 and to insure thationlyra vsingle such stick is diseryjof the drum 29,`a rotating roller 45 is provided and secured to vthe horizontal shaft 49 as by means of aY set screw 41.- Theroller 45 is rapidiyrotated by the shaftae Vwhich is actuated by uponA astub shaft 5I non-rotatably mounted; umn` l by the arrow shown inligure 4 Y ofthe drawings.

Y to drive the sprocket 59 which, as we have seen,

drives the small sprocket 43 on the shaft 43 for the roller 45. Y

The roller 45 is advantageously disposed adjal cent the end wall I9 of the hopper I2 and contacts the periphery of the drum 29. Asy the roller V45 is rotated at a speed considerably greater than the/speed of rotation of the drum 29, the sticks 21 which endeavor to move along with the moving surface of the drum 29 are prevented from so doing and the danger of jamming of the sticks between the feeding means I3 and the end Wall I9 is thereby alleviated. The roller 45 also insures that at least one of the sticks 21 will be disposed in each of the grooves 49 on the drum 29. A shield 56 isvsecured to the end wall I9 directly above and barely out of contact with the surface of the roller 45 at Va point substantially diametrically opposed toV that portion o'f its surface which is in contact with the Vdrum Yi9 so as toprevent any of the sticks 21 from getting down between the roller 45| and ythe end wall I9.

In order to hold the sticks 21vin placein the grooves 49 of ther drum 29, a stationary housing 51 of Vsubstantially vcylindrical form is provided closely fitting around thev external periphery of the drum 29. The housing 51 is open in Vthat portion of its periphery which registers with the open end of .the hopper I2 and is also provided with a plurality of slots extending therethrough to the surface of the drum 29 'forr purposes which will be Y explained Yin detail hereinafter. Anopening 59 The pulley BI of the motor' 59 is operatively connected as by means of a belt 94 or other suitable driving connection with aV pulley 62 the hub of which is secured to ahorizontal shaft 63 for the grinding unit I4. The shaft B3 is, rotatably supported in the adjustable Vbearing bracket '65' and is held therein in proper en'clwise dispositionby means of anv adjusting nui-,'63 which is'threaded upon ashort threaded section 91 on the shaft 63.

f A grinding wheel 58, whichmay be made of any posedin each individual groove 40 on the periphsuitable abrasive material,y is mounted upon the end of the shaft 63 projecting through the bearing bracket 5.V against a iianged portion 99 on .said shaft being secured in place thereagainst .by a washer 10 and a nut 1|k threaded on the end of the shaft 63.

A` suitable adjusting Vmeans is. advantageously provided whereby the grinding wheel |58 of .the abrasive means I4 is adapted to be shifted topern mit adjustment depending upon the character ofYY the pattern ror the shape to be produced Ori the Work piece for the manufacture of which the machine is to be employed. In this case, the beveled periphery of the grinding wheel 68 Vis'adapted to Y produce pointed ends on sticks 21 as'they'are carl ried on the peripheryfof the drumf29 inV contact with the vabrasive meansV I4.V The bearing bracket 65 is adapted to be slivdavbly shiftedalong Y TheV wheel 68 is 'positioneda bar 12 which is secured at the ends thereof in a support 13 mounted upon the frame II of the machine. The axis of the shaft 63 is also adapted to be offset with respect to the axis of the shaft upon which the drum 29 is mounted for rotation by means of the assembly 14.

A casting 15 is secured to the wall I8 of the hopper |2 as by means of the several bolts 35 which also support the casting 34 on the wall I1. The housing 51 is advantageously supported between the castings 34 and 15 about the periphery of the drum 29 in the manner shown in Figure 4.

The arm 16 of the assembly 14 for adjusting the offsetting of the axis of the shaft 63 with respect to the axis of the shaft 39 isadjustably mounted on the outer face of the casting 15 as by means of a pin 11 which is threaded at both ends, one end being threaded into the casting 15 while the other end is adapted to receive a nut 18 which cooperates with a washer 19 and a slide plate 88 to permit adjustment therebetween of the arm 16 afforded by the elongated slot 8| therein through which the pin 11 extends. The annular portion 82 of arm 16 encircles the shaft 63 and shifts the position of the axis of said shaft 63 as desired by moving the bearing bracket 65 about the bar 12 through a generally arcuate path.

To provide a finer adjustment of the offset of the axis of the shaft 63 with respect to the shaft 39, a square headed bolt 83 is threaded through a boss 84 on the face of the casting 15 so as to register with the free end of the arm 16 of the assembly 14. The bolt 83 serves to complete the adjustment of the position of the arm 19 in the direction of its longitudinal axis after it has been shifted with respect to the pin 11 to substantially the proper position. The assembly 14 permits the adjustment of the shaft"63 not only to change the pattern or shape of the Work piece being pro duced but also to compensate as may be required for the wear of the wheel 68.

It will be understood that with the arrangement of the several parts just described the grinding Wheel 68 will be advantageously positioned with the axis of its shaft 63 in offset relation with respect to the axis of the shaft 39 of the drum 29 in order that the surface of the wheel may contact the ends of the sticks 21 as they are carried around the outer periphery of the drum 29 in the manner indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings. The grinding wheel 68 extends through an opening 85 in the casting 15 and the free end of the shaft 63 together with the bolt 1| and the associated washer 10 for holding the Wheel in place on said shaft extend into the concave face 39 of the drum 29 in such fashion that the Wheel will be free from interference from the end of the drum 29.

In order to insure a completely uniform pattern or configuration for the work pieces, in this case the sticks 21, a pair of bars 81 are swingably supported by a rod 88 which extends horizontally between the walls I1 and |8 ofthe hopper I2 at a point above the feeding means I3. Each of the bars 81 is provided with an arcuate portion 89 on one of the edges thereof having a plurality of ser rations formed thereon. A pair of slots 90 extend through the housing 51 so that each registers with one of the annular grooves 39 in the periphery oi' the drum 29 to receive a bar 81 therein. Each slot 9i) and its associated groove 39 thus enables its bar 81 to contact the sticks 21 and, by reason of the serrations thereon, to cause said sticks to be rolled in the grooves 49as the drum29isrotated. L

.The position of the bars 81 with respect to the drum 29 is such that, as the sticks 21 are carried about the periphery of the drum to the position at which they contact the grinding wheel 68, they will contemporaneously be contacted by the serrations of the arcuate surface 89 of said bars 81 and will, therefore, be rolled while the grinding operation is taking place. To aid in maintaining the arcuate portions 89 on the edge of the bars 81 in contact with the sticks 21, there is provided a pair of outwardly extending arms 9| threaded into the uppermost ends of the bars 81 above the rod 88 extending therebetweenv (as indicatedfin Figure 4) and joined by a cross bar 92 to which is secured a coil spring 93. The spring 93 is maintained in tension by securing the end opposite that connected to the cross barv92 in anyv suitable fashion to the frame I I,'s`uch, for example, as by hooking the same on an angleV |93 secured thereto. The spring 93 serves to bias the bars 81 against the sticks 21 carried by the drum 29. y Y

A pair of scrapers 94 which may advantageously be provided to insure the removal of sticks 21 from the drum 29 are arcuately formed and have pointed ends thereon extending in a direction opposite to that of the rotation of the drum 29. Each scraper 94 is disposed in and adapted to contact the base of one of the annular grooves 39 in the drum 29 to aid in insuring the removal of the sticks 21 from the grooves 49 as the drum is rotated. The Scrapers 94 are held in place by one edge of the opening 58 in the housing 51 by means of shoulders 95a depending therefrom.

A second pair of scraper elements 96 may be provided if desired. Each scraper 96 has a blade 91 which extends through a slot 98 in the housing 51 which is disposed at a point between the opening 58 and the bottom of the hopper I2. The blade 91 is adapted to ride in one of the grooves 39. The scraper elements 96 are pivotally mounted about a horizontally disposed rod 99 extending between the walls I1 and I8 of the hopper I2. The blade 91 of each scraper element 96 is held in contact with the base of its groove 39 in the drum 29 as by means of a weight |00 secured toa lever arm IUI as by means of the screws |92 in the manner shown in Figure 4.

The operation of the Scrapers 94 and the scraper elements 96 is such as to prevent the possibility of any of the sticks 21 after theyhave passed the grinding wheel 68 from being retained in grooves 40 onthe surface of the drum 29. Certain types of Work pieces which may be supported in the drum 29 may become slightly wedged into the grooves 40 and unless they are removed they will be carried through the machine a number of times thereby affecting its eiciency of operation.

In the operation of the automatic grinding machine, a large number of Work pieces or sticks 21 are deposited in the hopper I2 in the manner illustrated in Figure 4 with the tiltable wall 2| of the hopper positionedr in inclined relation against the pin 23 in the manner shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. As the drum 29 is rotated by the motor 4|, the sticks 21 are inserted one'at a time in each of the several grooves 40 on the periphery of the drum 29. rlhe roller 45 effectively prevents more than one stick 21 from entering each groove and thus prevents the possibility of jamming of the apparatus.

The drum 29 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 4 and the sticks 21 are 'carried around tothe point where the-grind ing wheel 68 is-positioned. By reason of the disposition of the wheel 68 with respect to the freeV end ofthe drum 29the sticks'are pointed as'will uniformity of the pointed or cone-shaped ends of the sticks,L 21 is attributable to the action of the be observed from Figure 3 of the drawings.` The bars 81 in rolling the sticks 21 while they are in 'contact with the beveled Vsurface of the grinding wheel 68. After'having passed by the grinding V wheel 68, the sticks 21 still carried in the grooves 40 ofthe drum 29-are permitted to drop through the opening 53 in the housing 51 encirclingthe drum'and into the receptacle 23'in the manner illustrated in Figure 4. Y

In the event that any one or more of the sticks 21 Vfail to drop out of their respective grooves 40 cam the sticks out of the grooves d0. Ifany lone or more of the sticks 21 should, by reason of their being broken or otherwise enabled to pass by theV scrapers Sd, they willbe removed'by the scraper elements 96 also riding in one or more of the grooves 39 of the drum 2d. The sticks 21 or parts thereof dislodged from the groove 4i) by scraper 3 elements are caused to drop Vthrough the opening S8 in the housing 51 Vto the base 25 ofthe bin I2. Y n Y Y In the event that it is desired to have access to the feeding means I3, as previously suggested, the tiltable wall 2l maybe swung about the bolt 35 on whichk it is pivotally mounted b-y the re- Y 1 moval of the pin V23 holding said wall 2l in place and allowing it to swing downwardly to the dotted lineV position indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings. In this position, the extension portion 24 serves to support the tiltable wall 2l in its lowermost position upon the base 25 of the hopper I2.

This permitsthe removal of the supply of sticks 21 then in the hopperwithout thenecessity of having to'scoop them out of the space between the Yend Wall I9 and the tiltable wall 2i. It will be understood that the tiltable wall 2| may again be positioned in inclined relation with respect to the walls I 1V and I8 by swinging said wall2l back intorits original position and replacing the pin'23.

Any suitable means such for example as a suc- Y Vtion system 'may Vbe applied to the housing 51 adjacent the grinding wheel E8 to remove the particles of-dustl produced by the grinding operation. v

The 'structure and arrangement of the several scraper means may be changed ifY desired.

wide range without departingffrom the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise thanrnecessitated by the scope of the appended claims. s

Whatr I claim is: Y vL An automatic grinding Ymachine comprising a hopper for supplyinga plurality of Vwork pieces to be ground,V a drum mounted on Va cantilever I fshaft'for rotation about its axis with its periphery disposed adjacent the hopper, means for uniformly spacingl the work Ypieces on the periphery of the hopper, a slotted shield surrounding the periphery ofthe drum toretain thework pieces in place as the drum is rotated, a grinding wheel adjustablydisposed vat the free end of the drum tocontact thelworkrpieces-as Vthey arev carried by the rotating drum, means operative through the slotted shield for engaging the work pieces to shift themas they are in ,contact with the grinding wheel, means operative through the slotted shield for disengaging the finished work pieces from the drum, and means for receiving the finished work pieces. L v

2. An automaticl grinding machine comprising; a shaft supported and driven from one end only thereof, a generally cylindrical drum mounted on the other end of the shaft and having a periph'-V ery characterized by a plurality of uniformlyA spaced recesses extending parallel to the longi-V tudinal axis ofthe drum, a hopper open at one end thereof to supply a plurality of work pieces to the drum periphery, means preventing more than a single workpiece being disposed in .each recess on the drum periphery, means retaining the work pieces on the drum as it is rotated,.a grinding wheel disposed with one face confronting the free end of the drum to Contact the work pieces as the drum is rotated-means for adjusting the position of the grinding wheel with respect to said'drum to vary the shape of the work pieceproduced by the grinding operation, Vmeans Vdisengaging the iinished Work .pieces from the recesses on the periphery of the drum, andreceiving means for said' finished work pieces.Y

3. An automatic grinding machine comprising a shaft supported and driven from one end only thereof, a generally cylindrical ldrum mounted on the other end of the shaft and having a periphery characterized by a plurality of uniformly spaced recesses extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drum, a grinding wheel disposed with one face confronting the free end of said drum, a hopper open at one end'thereof tosupplya plurality lof work pieces' to the drum periphery,

155 It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a means preventing more than a single workpiece being disposed in each recess on the drum periphery, means retaining therwork pieces on the drum as it is rotated, means for frictionally engaging the work pieces in the recesses on the drum to shift said pieceswhile they are'in contact'vvith the grinding wheel, means for adjusting the position of the grinding wheel with respect to said Y drum to vary the shape of the Vwork piece produced by the grinding operation, means disengaging the flnished work pieces from the recesses on the periphery of the'drunnand receiving means for said nished work pieces. 1 f y 4. An automatic grinding'machine comprising a drive shaft mounted and driven from one end only thereof, a generally cylindrical drum mounted on said shaft, a plurality of uniformly spaced grooves'on the periphery of the drum extending parallel to the axis thereof, an open-ended hopper feeding a plurality of work Ypieces Vto. the drum,` a roller contactingthe periphery ofthe drum and rotating in the same direction as Vthe direction'of.rotationof the drum, a shield substantially completely enclosing the drum to re-Y,

tain the work pieces in Vthe grooves while the drum'is rotated, a rotary grinding wheel disposed adjacentV the free end of theY drumV having its axis of rotation offset from the yaxis of the shaft,` means frictionally engaging the work pieces. to rotate'the'work piecesY in each groove inV contact with the rotary grindingY wheel to produce a symed on said shaft, a plurality of uniformly spaced grooves on the periphery of the drum extending parallel to the axis thereof, an open-ended hopper feeding a plurality of work pieces to the drum, a roller contacting the periphery of the drum and 'rotating in the same direction as the direction of rotation of the drum, a shield substantially completely enclosing the drum to retain the Work pieces in the grooves while the drum is rotated, a rotary grinding wheel disposed adjacent the free end of the drum having its axis of rotation offset from the axis of the shaft, means for adjusting the grinding wheel with respect to the free end of the drum to Vary the shape of the Work pieces, means frictionally engaging the work pieces to rotate'the work pieces in each groove in contact with the rotary grinding Wheel to produce a symmetrically shaped Work piece, a slot formed in the shield, an annular groove in the periphery of the drum substantially equal in depth to that of the axial grooves, a frictional engaging means disposed in the slot and registering with the annular groove to disengage the nished work pieces from the axial grooves, and means for receiving the finished work pieces.

6. In an automatic grinding machine for shaping work pieces having a feeding means and abrasive means, a hopper for supplying the work pieces to the feeding means for subjection to the abrasive means comprising a base, a plurality of substantially vertical walls about said base, and an additional wall pivotally mounted between two of the vertical walls, said pivotally mounted wall being tiltable with respect to the base to provide access tothe interior of the hopper for the removal of the supply of Work pieces therefrom.

7. An automatic grinding machine comprising a rotary abrasive surface, means for successively introducing a plurality of work pieces to the abrasive surface, means shifting the position of the work pieces While in contact with the abrasive surface to obtain a symmetrical shape for the work pieces, means discharging the iinished work pieces from the introducing means, and means for shifting the rotary abrasive surface longitudinally in the direction ofA its axis of rotation and in an arcuate path about its axis of rotation far adjusting the abrasive surface with respect to the introducing means.

8. A grinding machine for shaping elongate Work pieces comprising a first cantilever shaft, an abrasive disk mounted at the free end of said shaft, a second cantilever shaft having a free end opposed to the freeend of said first shaft, a cylinder mounted at the free end of said second shaft and having aconcave face confronting said abrasive disk for permitting close approximation of said abrasive disk to the edge of said concave face without contact between the two shaft ends, the periphery of said cylinder being formed to receive said work pieces for introducing end portions thereof to said abrasive disk, and means for varying the alignment of said shafts.

9. A grinding machine for shaping elongated work pieces comprising a rst cantilever shaft, an abrasive disk mounted at the free end of said shaft, a second cantilever shaft having a free end opposed to the free end of said rst shaft, a cylinder mounted at the free end of said second shaft and having a concave face confronting said abrasive disk for permitting close approximation of said abrasive disk to the edge of said concave face without contact between the two free shaft ends, said cylinder being axially recessed at spaced peripheral localities to receive said work pieces for introducing the same to said abrasive disk, means about said cylinder for retaining said work pieces in said cylinder recesses, means for `spinning said retained Work pieces while the same are introduced to said abrasive disk, and means for feeding work pieces to said cylinder recesses.

CHRISTOPHER J. ARMBRUST. 

